


When We Went From Friends to This

by HunterByDayWhovianByNight



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV)
Genre: Banter, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Sam Wilson-centric, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29441883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HunterByDayWhovianByNight/pseuds/HunterByDayWhovianByNight
Summary: “I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, ‘I love you.’” ―William ShakespeareSam was still stuck in that pining phase, but Valentine's day proved to be fortuitous.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 117





	When We Went From Friends to This

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I hope you enjoy this short little fic I wrote for Sam and Bucky last night, feeling inspired and wanting to procrastinate on my creative writing assignment. I will probably write more for them in the future, but we will see! Title is from "Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift. 
> 
> ~Hunter
> 
> PS: There is listening material to accompany the reading material! My Sam / Bucky playlist can be found [here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7q0XdPdqljb9mqWEqmfT4Q?si=VqFNGDbzQTuWB4k03QM_UQ)

Normally, Sam would make a joke or two about their missions being dates, snicker at the nose scrunch Bucky made in protest, and they would laugh it off as if it was nothing. The whole joke that their missions were dates started out just like that, as a joke. Not to be seen taken seriously, analyzed in depth, or over thought at 2:00 in the morning. (Like Sam found himself doing sometimes.) It was all in good fun, Sam thought. He assumed that Bucky wouldn’t be interested in him anyways, which is why he loved making the jokes. He loved getting on Bucky’s nerves and under his skin. And if Bucky had a problem with Sam saying they were on dates or that they looked like boyfriends (it was Sam’s favorite joke—it always made him the recipient of an incredulous laugh and an _in your dreams_ eye roll), then he didn’t voice it. 

But the jokes very quickly they turned into excuses for Sam to slyly admit he had a crush on Bucky. It happened so subtly he never recognized that he actually looked forward to going on missions with Bucky, crawling next to him on the asphalt or concrete, telling him that he liked their little “dates.” He looked forward to seeing Bucky’s stupid, perfect face, hearing his little laugh. And then it was hard for Sam to ignore that he really, _really_ was falling for Bucky. 

So jokes they were not. 

And the fact that this particular mission they were on was _also_ on Valentine’s Day was especially frustrating for Sam, for a number of reasons. He wished they were on an actual date, not staking out a warehouse on the cold, gusty roof of an office building, for one. That Bucky would get the hint by now for another. That he could kiss Bucky. But, yearning aside, it was yet another excuse to bring the jokes-that-weren’t-really-jokes-anymore back. 

“Riddle me this, Bucky.” 

“Hm?”

“If we’re spending Valentine’s Day together… does that make you my Valentine?” Sam asked with a cocky grin and a nudge to Bucky’s side. Their current position, both of them lying on their stomachs at the edge of the roof, made Bucky’s ribs an easy shot.

“If I’m your Valentine, you should’ve brought me somewhere nicer for our date, then,” Bucky said with a scoff. “I’m pretty sure anything would be better than _this_ for a date.”

Sam tried not to blush at Bucky’s response. He had begun teasing back as of late, going along with the little bits. Sam assumed that Bucky meant it all in good fun, because really—if Bucky liked him back, he wouldn’t mutter _you’re the worst_ or _God, I hate you sometimes_ when Sam made a particularly egregious pun or said he liked being alone with Bucky. 

“I’ll buy you dinner after this, how about it?” Sam asked, testing the waters. If Bucky agreed, it was a date. If Bucky just laughed it off, he’d chalk up his offer as a joke and nothing more. That’s how Sam’s jokes-disguised-as-flirtations had been going as of late.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Bucky glanced over at Sam and, for a moment, Sam felt lost and distracted looking into Bucky’s (really pretty) blue eyes. “And I have expensive taste, so I’m expecting to be treated right.”

Sam laughed. Of course Bucky would say something like that. “I’ll keep it in mind.” 

“I hope you aren’t joking, because I’m _really_ hungry,” Bucky said, deadpan and staring straight ahead through his binoculars at the exit to the warehouse. “And if getting a free dinner out of you means I have to be your little boyfriend, then I’ll play along.”

“I never said anything about you being my _little boyfriend_ ,” Sam said, rolling his eyes and trying to keep his heart rate under control. He was equal parts overwhelmed and annoyed with Bucky’s little antics. “I said you were my Valentine.”

“What’s the difference?”

 _Is there one?_ “Well, that depends on who you a—”

“Because if there isn’t one, I don’t mind.” Bucky said it so _casually_ , so _nonchalantly_. He was still looking through his fucking binoculars, for Christ’s sake. Sam’s mind went reeling. He could barely find the mental wherewithal to summon language or string a coherent set of thoughts together. All he could do was stare at Bucky, mouth agape, and wait for him to say something again.

“You know, Sam… I’m not _that_ stupid,” Bucky said with a small grin, finally putting his binoculars down and meeting Sam’s eyes in the dim light of the warehouse. “I know you like me. I was just waitin’ for you to… say it outright.” Bucky shifted an inch closer to Sam, and suddenly Sam could feel their legs touching. He was still rendered speechless, more so now than before with Bucky’s admission that he knew _this whole time_ , the sneaky bastard. Bucky had let him dance around the flirtations, make jokes about being boyfriends and going on dates, for months now. “I like you. A lot.”

“Really?” Sam said, not minding that a goofy-ass grin was spreading on his face. “So you were playing along, trying to do… what exactly?”

“Wear you down until I felt like saying something,” Bucky said with a smirk and a wink. There was the Bucky that Sam fell for. 

“Bastard.”

“You love it, though,” Bucky said, tucking the binoculars away and standing up. “Besides, we gotta cut this short. I saw the guy coming out of the warehouse and now it’s time to get to work.” He offered a hand to Sam to help him up, and he took it. “I’m still expecting dinner, by the way.”

~~~~~

An hour and forty-five minutes later, Sam and Bucky sat on the edge of the curb, a little closer to each other than they would have before, tacos balanced in their hands. It felt wonderfully mundane and relaxing, especially after being stuck on a roof for most of the night. And while a taco stand dinner may not have been the most romantic of Valentine’s Day date ideas, they were together. So what if they were both still in their gear and Bucky had a cut over his eyebrow? It was still nice. It was them.

“I can’t believe our anniversary is gonna be on Valentine’s Day now,” Bucky said in between bites of his taco. “Did you plan that?”

“Believe it or not, but it was entirely coincidental. I was just theming my teasing to the holiday.” Sam took a sip of his Coke and shrugged. “I expected you to laugh it off like you always did. And if I’m remembering right, _you_ were the one who brought up the boyfriend thing. So how do I know that _you_ weren’t the one planning tonight?”

He and Bucky locked eyes, and shared a _you can’t hide shit from me_ look, before Bucky finally broke. “You’ll never know.” He stole Sam’s can of Coke and took a swig. 

“Give that back, you said you didn’t want one!” Sam scolded as he took the can from Bucky’s hand. “You’re insufferable. But—”

“But you love it?” 

Sam couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. I do.” The two shared another look, this one a little softer and more affectionate. Bucky’s blue eyes shone in the light of the street lamp and Sam wanted nothing more than to reach out and run his hand though Bucky’s now-short hair, stroke the back of his hand, pull him in for a kiss. God, he wanted nothing more than to just bring their lips together and kiss him passionately, right here on the curb. Bucky gazed back at Sam, lost in thought but focused on him. Sam knew that the only thing that would make this night better would be to share his first kiss with Bucky. 

_First date and first kiss on Valentine’s Day… God, we’re the cheesiest couple, aren’t we?_

“What’re you thinking about, Sam?”

 _Here goes nothing._ “About how much I wanna kiss that stupid grin off your face.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” Bucky challenged him, the stupid grin turning into an even stupider smile.

Sam didn’t have to be told twice. He took Bucky’s face in one hand and leaned in to kiss him, pressing their lips together and tasting the sickly-sweet Coke on his lips, the spicy hot sauce on his tongue. He could feel his day-old stubble against his lips. He could feel Bucky kissing him back, and eagerly, to boot. Sam felt his chest fill with warmth. He really liked this feeling. He mentally kicked himself for not having just come out and said it to Bucky earlier; they could’ve been doing more of this instead of bickering. Well. He had the feeling that they’d always be bickering and bantering, regardless of their relationship status. 

They pulled away from the kiss, foreheads resting against each other. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Bucky.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Sam.”

**Author's Note:**

> me, in ya brain: kudos/comment on this fic  
> you: but why  
> me, in ya brain: you gotta
> 
> ~Hunter


End file.
